Who was ‘No Vaseline’ about? Ice Cube proclaims his song as the “best diss song” in Hip-Hop history

On May 26, rapper and songwriter Ice Cube performed at the ongoing California Root Festival in Monterey, California, where he addressed the audience and proclaimed his 1991 diss track No Vaseline as the “best diss song in the history of hip-hop.”

"[People say] Tupac [Hit Em Up] but it's not. 'Nah, Cube, hold on. It's Nas with Ether. I love Nas, but it's not. Maybe it's Kendrick Lamar, maybe it's him. I love them songs, but No Vaseline is the best diss song in the history of hip-hop," Ice Cube mentioned in the now-viral footage from the live concert.

No Vaseline was part of the 54-year-old rapper’s October 1991 album Death Certificate and was a shade towards his former hip-hop group N.W.A (N*ggaz With Attitudes).

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Ice Cube’s No Vaseline was a response to N.W.A’s 100 Miles and Runnin’

Ice Cube, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson Sr., co-wrote and co-produced No Vaseline with Sir Jinx. The 5-minute and 13-second-long diss track was a direct response to his former band N.W.A’s album 100 Miles and Runnin’ and the singles N*ggaz 4 Life and Message to B.A.

Ice Cube took a dig at his former band member Eazy-E and their longtime manager Jerry Heller, whom he directly blamed for the rift surrounding royalties that led to his exit in December 1989.

“Heard you both got the same bank account/ Dumb N-Word, What you thinkin’ ‘bout?... You little m*ggot, Easy E-turned-f*ggot/ With your manager, fella – f*ckin’ MC Ren, Dr. Dre, and [DJ] Yella,” he rapped.

Elsewhere in the song, he also explained why he went solo and left Ruthless Records. He alleged that the group was “jealous” of him getting his own “company.”

No Vaseline was originally released as the 20th single of the album Death Certificate, which was banned in the U.K. for alleged racial and antisemitic undertones.

The diss track, which was a blend of Hard Core and West Coast hip-hop, also appeared on the Death Row Greatest Hits compilation album and the B-side of the album Steady Mobbin’. It was also featured in the 2015 biopic of N.W.A titled Straight Outta Compton.

Notably, No Vaseline was not the first diss track aimed at N.W.A. Ice Cube also dissed his former group in his EP Kill At Will and singles Jackin’ For Beats and I Gotta Say What Up!!!!

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Ice Cube considers No Vaseline as the best diss track in hip-hop history as he “took out” five people with one song

On Sunday, during his show at California Root Festival, Ice Cube hailed No Vaseline as the best diss track of all time in the history of hip-hop. He explained the reason behind his declaration by saying:

"I'll tell you why. One MC, myself. I took out four motherf*ckers and the manager. You can't beat that. We did that over 30 years ago. So, as it stands today, I got nothing but love for N.W.A."

While the audience cheered him on, he also claimed that Nas’ 2001 diss track Ether, directed at Jay-Z (as a response to Takeover), came close. He also cited Tupac Shakur’s 1996 diss track Hit ‘Em Up, which was meant for his former associate turned rival, The Notorious B.I.G, as another noteworthy contender.

He also hailed Kendrick Lamar’s latest Drake diss track, Not Like Us, but said his 1991 song was better. Notably, K-Dot's single has surpassed many records and is currently charting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list.

Ice Cube has proclaimed No Vaseline at the top of the diss track list in the past as well, including during the July 2023 interview with DJ Whoo Kid on his Whoo’s House Podcast.